The National Day of the Czech Republic

The National Day of the Czech Republic is celebrated on October 28.

This holiday commemorates the date in 1918 when Czechoslovakia was created at the end of World War I and with the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy. During the Austro Hungarian Empire the Czech areas of Bohemia and Moravia had been inder Austrian rule while Slovakia was under Hungarian rule. The president of the ‘First Republic’ was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who was the leader of the nationalist movement outside the Austro Hungarian Empire.

There had been nationalist movements on these territories and after teh collapse of the Habsburg monarchy these regions decided to become one nation.

Although Czech Republic and Slovakia became separate countries in 1992 this holiday is still celebrated in the Czech Republic as a national holiday, free of work during which wreathes are laid and national anthem is played.